Thank you, Madam Chair.
My thanks to the three witnesses for joining us today for this very interesting study.
Mrs. Désir, I too was struck by the fact that you had to close your business because of the COVID‑19 pandemic. What I understand from your comments is that the programs lack flexibility and don't take into account all the specific challenges that we, as women, have to overcome.
I was a community worker in the past, and I set up initiatives on women and poverty. That had a big impact on me. We know that women bear a greater mental burden than men, and that food insecurity hits them harder. What's more, they lack the time to manage their various obligations, and they don't naturally turn to networking. These are major factors in the development of their businesses. There's also the whole issue of work-life balance.
I would like to hear you talk a little more about program flexibility. What could have helped you through the crisis?